Archive for June, 2012

“Forged of Shadows,” Jessa Slade

Friday, June 15th, 2012

Pros: Interesting story and world with some great action
Cons: I didn’t enjoy the dynamic between Liam and Jilly
Rating: 3 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group
Also posted on Epinions.com.

 

Liam Niall is the leader of a Chicago chapter of demon slayers who are also all possessed by repentant demons. It’s a dark, lonely, and dangerous existence, but it’s the only thing they know. Until recently, only men were possessed by the repentant demons. Now women have been brought into the fold, and they’re displaying particularly violent powers, ones that only come fully under control once a strong relationship has been established between the possessed woman and a member of the existing group. No one really trusts or understands what is going on.

Jilly Chan is the most recent demon-possessed. She’s in great danger from those who would turn her power against the world. Liam wants to use her as a weapon, but fears the danger she might represent to his people. It doesn’t help that he’s incredibly attracted to her.

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“No One Left to Tell,” Karen Rose

Friday, June 15th, 2012

Pros: Larger-than-life blend of action, romance, and mystery
Cons: Larger-than-life and melodramatic
Rating: 4 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

 

PI Paige Holden took on a pro bono client—a woman she knows who believes that her son is innocent of the terrible crime he was convicted of. The case seems like a dead end until the woman’s minivan crashes right in front of Paige, and she sees that the woman’s been shot. The woman’s final words and actions send Paige on a collision course with a very high-profile case and some extremely dangerous people.

Five years ago, State’s Attorney Grayson Smith felt satisfied that he had put a murderer in jail and made the streets just that much safer. But when Paige gives him her evidence and tells him what she knows, he starts to doubt himself—and those he works with. Before long, the two of them are largely hiding out with help from Grayson’s adoptive family, hoping to figure out who the bad guys really are before it’s too late.

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“Stygian’s Honor,” Lora Leigh

Monday, June 11th, 2012

Pros: Intense erotica and romance
Cons: Over-the-top erotica and romance
Rating: 3 out of 5

Review book (uncorrected proof) courtesy of Penguin Group
Expected publication date: 8/7/2012

 

Stygian needs to find a missing woman named Honor Roberts, who might hold the key to saving a young child who was injected with a terrible serum. He’s looking for her with the help of Liza Johnson, who works for the Navajo Nation. Unfortunately, Liza is far more wrapped up in his case than it seems at first, and things only get more complicated when the mating heat develops between both of them. Finding Honor just might end up destroying their own fragile relationship. Behind it all is Jonas Wyatt, who would do almost anything, hurt almost anyone, to get to Honor and save the little toddler he loves as his own.

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“The Shifter,” Jean Johnson

Friday, June 8th, 2012

Pros: Still loving Jean’s world and characters
Cons: Didn’t grab me quite as much as the previous book (Shifting Plains)
Rating: 5 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

 

In Shifting Plains, a woman named Tava feared all shapeshifters because of what her mother endured at their hands before Tava’s birth. Eventually Tava discovered that those shapeshifters were renegades, and not at all representative of their culture. Now that the Shifterai as a whole know about the violent, brutal “Clan Mongrel” (as they call themselves), they’ve sent a group to hunt down evidence of what’s really going on. Among those sent along is Kenyen Sin Siin, brother-in-law to Tava, a strong shifter in his own right.

It doesn’t take long before Kenyen stumbles right into trouble, and ends up having to masquerade first as a renegade, and then as an innocent townsperson. There’s a big wrinkle adding to his headaches, though: the human whose face he wears was working with a young woman named Solyn to figure out what’s been going on as their village has been infiltrated by the Mongrels. She’s used to having to be wary of anyone who doesn’t act quite as they should, but usually because those people are being more cruel, violent, or rude. Now her best friend has returned from a trip and he seems… matured, more certain of himself, and if anything, even nicer.

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Jean Johnson’s “Sons of Destiny” series, books 1-4

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

Pros: Great fantasy worldbuilding; playful and original erotic romance
Cons: Shaky start with a too-”perfect” female lead
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

 

One of the pitfalls of reviewing books is that sometimes a publisher sends you a book from the middle of a series, and you have to dive in without any of the early series background. That was pretty easy with Jean Johnson’s “Sons of Destiny” eight-book series, thankfully; she’s pretty careful to include enough information to allow the books to stand surprisingly well on their own. The basic premise of the series is that eight brothers (four sets of non-identical twins, all powerful mages) are the subject of a prophecy, and their homeland, out of fear of the prophecy, has exiled them to a deserted island. Among other things, the prophecy covers the fact that each brother shall find his destined bride, in order from the eldest brother to the youngest, and the youngest is fated to be the matchmaker who ensures that the prophecy comes true. Thus each book focuses on a single erotic romantic pairing, as well as the development of the burgeoning community on the island of Nightfall, and the continuing story of the prophecy, mysterious attacks on the brothers, and the island’s bid for independence.

I started with book five, The Cat, followed by The Storm, The Flame, and The Mage. I loved them so much that I wanted to read the rest of the series from the beginning.

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